Norwalk Museum to move archives to library, collections to Lockwood House

By ROBERT KOCHHour Staff Writer

Published
4:30 pm EDT, Tuesday, March 19, 2013

NORWALK -- The Norwalk Museum must vacate North Main Street by June 30, and relocation of the museum's collections and archives could begin within weeks.

David G. Westmoreland, Norwalk Historical Commission vice chairman and Norwalk Museum Restructuring Committee co-chairman, said the city's budget includes money to pay the rent at 41 North Main St. through June but not beyond.

"The (Restructuring) Committee made its recommendation to move the collections to the Lockwood House and move the archives to the library," said Westmoreland, also Norwalk Historical Society president. "Our goal is to have the moves completed by the end of June."

The Historical Commission has budgeted $35,000 to pay a consultant and part-time help to relocate the items. The collections will go initially to the Norwalk Health Department building until the Lockwood House becomes available.

The Fire Department is using the Lockwood House as offices as the city builds a new fire headquarters.

Last year, the city defunded operation of The Norwalk Museum effective July 1, 2012. The museum closed to the public in May 2012, but its collections remain in the building under an extended lease with the landlord.

The Restructuring Committee, formed by Mayor Richard A. Moccia, recommended relocating the museum archives -- written documents and photographs to the Main Library on Belden Avenue -- and its collections to the Lockwood House, a city-owned building near City Hall.

How and under whose authority the items may be moved has generated discussion.

Moccia said relocating the collections and archives requires neither Historical Commission nor Common Council approval, based upon an opinion from the city's law department.

Corporation Counsel Robert F. Maslan Jr. said city ordinance leaves the Historical Commission responsible for managing buildings but not their contents. The lease for 41 North Main St. is another factor, he said.

"Once the lease expired -- and they're basically winding it down -- then they don't have any control over that," Maslan said. "The Historical Commission doesn't have to approve where the contents go."

Westmoreland said he plans to meet with Moccia and Maslan for clarification of the matter. He distinguished between the library and the Lockwood House.

"If you go to the library, you're changing not only the location, but you're changing the control of the archives from the Historical Commission to the library management," Westmoreland said.

Westmoreland said the museum collections, when moved to the Lockwood House, would remain under Historical Commission control. He noted that the Norwalk Historical Society has submitted a plan to manage the museum collections at the Lockwood House. He said that plan would require Historical Commission approval and that he would recuse himself from the vote.

Last year, city officials concluded that visitor numbers did not justify the roughly $12,000 in rent and other expenses which the city paid to operate the museum at 41 North Main St.

Norwalk Historical Commission Chairman Peter A. Bondi and other critiques of vacating 41 North Main St. argued that properly relocating the archives and collections also would be costly to the city.

Bondi recently told fellow Historical commissioners that he was stepping down as chairman but would remain a member of the commission, according to Westmoreland.

He declined comment for this story.

Westmoreland said he has assumed Bondi's responsibilities pending the annual election of officers by the commission.

"I have all of the keys to all the buildings," Westmoreland said. "(Bondi) he has been very helpful in the transition."